Contents:
Update on FY2006 Appropriations for Federal Math and Science Programs
Department of Education Funding Bill Goes to Senate Floor
Last week the Senate bill funding programs for the US Department of Education, including the state-based Math and Science Partnerships and the Title II Teacher Quality funds, went to the Senate floor. After a week of debate and many amendments offered by Democrats to increase spending for No Child Left Behind, IDEA, and Pell Grant awards (all of which failed), the Senate okayed the spending package by a vote of 97 to 3. Conferees appointed to iron out the differences between the House and Senate bills will begin work immediately.
No Final Action Yet on NSF Appropriations Bill
In other appropriations news, conferees for the Science, State, Justice and Commerce (SSJC) bill are still working out the differences in the House and Senate funding bills for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Math and Science Partnerships, and other K-12 STEM education programs.
Fifty-five House representatives joined Reps. Vernon Ehlers and Rush Holt in signing a letter to SSJC conferees, asking them to support the higher level of funding in the House bill. In the letter Reps. Ehlers and Holt write, “Supporting the National Science Foundation is key to maintaining our preeminence in science and technology. NSF investments are aimed at the frontiers of science and engineering, where advances in fundamental knowledge drive innovation, progress, and productivity. NSF not only supports the education of scientists and engineers, but the education of all Americans for the workforce of tomorrow, a workforce in which all workers, from office assistants to rocket scientists, will require strong basic math and science skills.” To read the entire letter, click here.
NSTA, NCTM, and the STEM Education Coalition have all sent letters to the leaders of this bill, asking conferees to adopt the House funding number for the NSF Elementary and Secondary and Informal Education programs ($175m) and the Senate funding number for the Math and Science Partnership program ($64m). To read these letters, and to use this information in letters you can send to these leaders, click here.
By law, appropriations for FY2006 programs should have been completed by October 1, the end of the fiscal year. However, Congress passed a continuing resolution until November 18, allowing work on these funding bills to continue.
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Senators and Education Advocates Seek More Funding for FY2007 Math and Science Ed Programs
In the meantime, although appropriations for FY2006 federal programs is still not completed, the federal agencies have submitted their spending requests for FY2007 federal programs and many members of Congress are weighing in on their spending priorities for next year. Fortunately the priorities for a number of Senators include increased funding for math and science education.
Five US Senators - Senators Coleman, Rockefeller, Durbin, Ensign, and Lincoln - are circulating a Dear Colleague letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Joshua Bolten, asking him to expand funding for the math and science partnership program at both the NSF and Department of Education. To read the Senate Dear Colleague letter, click here.
The STEM Education Coalition, chaired by NSTA and the American Chemical Society, also sent a letter to OMB Director Josh Bolten. To read the letter, click here.
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Science Committee Holds Hearing on NAS Report on Strengthening Science Education and Research
On October 20 Norman Augustine, retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lockheed Martin Corporation, William A. Wulf, the President of the National Academy of Engineering, and P. Roy Vagelos, retired Chairman and CEO of Merck & Co., testified before the House Science Committee at a hearing examining the state of U.S. competitiveness. The witnesses testified on the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report that was released on October 12 entitled, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. The report, which was requested by Congress, recommends ways to strengthen research and education in science and technology. Augustine chaired the committee that prepared the report for the National Academies.
In his testimony, Augustine said the committee looking into this issue decided the highest priority for national competitiveness was to strengthen K-12 science and math education. Other recommendations include putting more resources into the physical sciences, encouraging more students to study math and science; and attracting more students from abroad into STEM careers. Read more about the hearing here.
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Government Watchdog Group Reports on Federal STEM Education Programs
The Government Accounting Organization (GAO) issued a report last week classifying the number and huge variety of federal K-12 STEM education programs offered by the federal government. The GAO found that in FY2004, 13 federal agencies spend $2.8 billion on 207 programs to increase the number of undergraduates and graduates in the STEM fields or improve STEM-related education programs.
The report stops short of drawing a conclusion on the vast number of federal K-12 programs, but recommends that, before implementing changes or creating any new programs, “it is important to know the extent to which existing STEM education programs are appropriately targeted and making the best use of available federal resources.”
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Update on House and Senate STEM Education Caucus
Both the Senate and House STEM Education Caucuses have been very active in recent weeks bringing visibility to K-12 STEM education issues to members of both chambers.
On October 26, the Senate STEM Education Caucus, chaired by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) hosted an event for Senate staffers on the STEM related provisions in the Higher Education Act. Panelists for the event discussed the many pieces of legislation now before the Senate, and discussed other proposals and ideas that lawmakers might want to consider that would strengthen K-12 STEM teaching. Panelists included Dr. Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley; Skip Fennell, President Elect for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and a professor at Western Maryland University; Dr. Lawrence Johnson, Dean, College of Education, University of Cincinnati; and Michael Lach, Director of Science, Chicago Public Schools.
On November 8, the House STEM Education Caucus is planning an event around the recent reports on STEM education and national innovation and competitiveness from the Council on Competitiveness; the Business and Higher Education Forum; the Business Roundtable; and the National Academies of Science.
For more information on these events, contact Jodi Peterson at jpeterson@nsta.org.
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NSTA Executive Director Provides Testimony Before National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB)
On October 25, NSTA Executive Director Gerald Wheeler provided testimony on the draft NAEP science framework for the 2009 assessment before NAGB, the group that sets policy for the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAE), known as the Nation’s Report Card.
In his remarks Wheeler, who chaired the panel that developed the draft science framework, concurred with many of the enhancements made to the science framework for 2009. He called on NAGB to address the growing issue of technology in the curriculum. To read more of Wheeler’s testimony, click here.
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